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enMercy Supply Chain Talent Recognized with Visionary Awardhttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-31/mercy-supply-chain-talent-recognized-with-visionary-award
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/png" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25286.png" type="image/png; length=864423">25286.png</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/nancy-corbett">Nancy Corbett</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
<p><img alt="" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/resize/files/25286-300x286.png" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2; width: 300px; height: 286px;" width="300" height="286" /></p>
<p>Vance Moore, right, is the senior vice president of</p>
<p>operations <span style="font-size: 11.9011898040771px; line-height: 1.2;">for Mercy &amp; current ROi board chairman.</span></p>
</div>
<p><a href="http://www.scmworld.com/home/">SCM World</a>, the supply chain talent development partner for the world’s leading companies, recently honored Vance Moore, senior vice president of operations for Mercy, and current board chairman for <a href="http://www.roiscs.com/">ROi</a> (Resource Optimization &amp; Innovation), Mercy’s supply chain company, with its inaugural Supply Chain Visionary Award.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">“Vance’s contributions to supply chain in health care go back a long way,” explained Kevin O’Marah, chief content officer and head of research, SCM World. “He is part of a history at ROi that has produced exceptional, visionary leadership in health care and will no doubt continue to influence the sector for years to come.”</span></p>
<p>Moore joined ROi in 2002 and served as president and CEO from 2007 to 2011 before transitioning to his current role within Mercy.</p>
<p>The Supply Chain Visionary Award is part of SCM World’s <a href="http://awards.scmworld.com/">Power of the Profession</a> awards program, which, according to Matt Davis, SCM World’s senior vice president of research, was created to recognize supply chain leaders that are not only driving breakthrough innovations, but also sharing their practices to advance the entire supply chain profession. More than 150 companies participate in and contribute to the SCM World community, including P&amp;G, Unilever, Nestlé, Samsung, Lenovo, Cisco, Merck, Caterpillar, Nike, Walgreens, Jaguar Land Rover, Raytheon, Chevron, Shell and BASF.</p>
<p>“It is such an honor to see ROi and its leadership recognized by SCM World,” said Gene Kirtser, president and CEO of ROi. “We are very proud of our continued heritage of visionary leaders, starting from our three founders <a href="/newsroom/2013-10-01/pioneering-a-top-10-health-care-supply-chain">Lynn Britton</a>, Mike McCurry and Shannon Sock, elevating the strategic role of supply chain in health care, and continuing today with our current leadership team.”</p>
<p>O’Marah added, "ROi has done so much as an organization through past and present leadership to drive innovation, and more importantly optimism that supply chain can seriously impact the health care sector. I can only hope others will be inspired to follow.” </p>
<p>Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</p>
<p>As a provider-owned integrated supply chain company, <a href="http://www.roiscs.com" target="_blank">ROi</a> believes in the power of collaboration to transform health care. Founded more than a decade ago by Mercy, the nation’s fifth largest Catholic health care system, ROi serves health care organizations across the U.S. who share a passion for supply chain excellence. ROi’s integrated model simplifies and streamlines everything related to supply chain, offering solutions including strategic contracting and sourcing, centralized distribution and transportation, custom procedure tray manufacturing, medical device reprocessing and private label products. As a provider-born company, our insights and goals are uniquely aligned with today’s health care organizations, who all must find new ways to provide better care at lower cost.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.scmworld.com" target="_blank">SCM World</a> is the supply chain talent development partner for the world’s leading companies, empowering professionals with the capability, commitment and confidence to drive greater positive impact on business performance and help solve three of the world’s fundamental challenges: health, hunger and environmental sustainability. The SCM World community accelerates collective learning and performance by harnessing the knowledge of the most forward-thinking supply chain practitioners, shared through industry-leading research, best-practice exchanges, peer networking and events. Over 150 companies participate in and contribute to the SCM World community, including P&amp;G, Unilever, Nestlé, Samsung, Lenovo, Cisco, Merck, Caterpillar, Nike, Walgreens, Jaguar Land Rover, Raytheon, Chevron, Shell and BASF.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Tue, 31 Mar 2015 19:40:38 +0000bmhalle125286 at http://www.mercy.netMercy to Donate Old Joplin Hospitalhttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-26/mercy-to-donate-old-joplin-hospital
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25274.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=112004">25274.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/angella-saporito-0">Angella Saporito</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
<p><img alt="alt copy" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/files/25274.jpg" height="300" width="300" /></p>
<p>Mercy plans to donate this building for a new medical school</p>
</div>
<p>Less than a week after Mercy Hospital Joplin moved patients to a new $465 million facility, plans are being made to turn the old building into a medical school.</p>
<p>Mercy constructed the temporary hospital at 2807 St. John’s Blvd. three years ago at a cost of $100 million, after the May 2011 tornado destroyed the old building. Plans now call for donating the temporary hospital to Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences’ (KCU) College of Osteopathic Medicine for a new medical school campus.</p>
<p>“We’re now in our beautiful new facility, but there’s a lot of use left in the building we called ‘home’ for three years,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “We wanted to find a way it could still serve the community, and this donation enables us to repurpose it as a place of learning for the next generation of doctors. The entire region will benefit from the addition of highly-trained physicians to support the health care needs of our communities.” The 150,000 square-foot facility and property are currently valued at $5.5 million. Mercy is awaiting final approval of the donation from the Vatican.</p>
<p>KCU is the largest medical school in Missouri and 10<sup>th</sup> largest medical school in the country. It recently received approval from the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation to develop the new medical school campus in Joplin. The new space will allow an additional 150 students to take advantage of the KCU medical program each year. The development of the KCU College of Osteopathic Medicine Joplin campus will be a collaborative effort involving Mercy Hospital Joplin, Freeman Health System, the city of Joplin and philanthropic leadership from the surrounding community.</p>
<p>“The expansion of KCU to an additional location marks a significant moment for our University, and an opportunity to help address the rural health care needs for Missouri and the region,” said Marc B. Hahn, D.O., president and chief executive officer, KCU. “As the second leading educator of physicians for Missouri and Kansas, and with nearly 40 percent of our graduates practicing medicine in rural areas, this was a logical decision for us.”</p>
<p>The Joplin community and its medical providers, through the Joplin Regional Medical School Alliance (JRMSA), have demonstrated strong support for this project by pledging $30 million to assist in the development of the Joplin campus. “I’m very thankful KCU chose the Joplin area for this new campus,” said Rudy Farber, chairman at Community Bank &amp; Trust. “This expansion will have a huge positive effect on the area, including an economic impact of more than $100 million once fully operational. By partnering with KCU, we will be working will a fully accredited institution with a long history of success. This partnership will reduce the time it would take to open a new school by several years. In short, this is a wonderful opportunity for all concerned.”</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Fri, 27 Mar 2015 00:25:29 +0000skcox125274 at http://www.mercy.netNew Mercy Hospital Joplin Opens to Patientshttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-23/new-mercy-hospital-joplin-opens-to-patients
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25240.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=110851">25240.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/angella-saporito">Angella Saporito</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
<p><img alt="alt copy" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/files/25240.jpg" height="276" width="300" /></p>
<p>Twins Merrick and Isabella are the first babies<br />
born at the new Mercy Hospital Joplin.</p>
</div>
<p>With a line of ambulances assembled before dawn, Mercy began moving patients from its hospital at 2807 St. John’s Blvd. to its new facility at 100 Mercy Way.</p>
<p>The 7 a.m. move was four years in the making after an EF5 tornado destroyed the old St. John’s Regional Medical Center on May 22, 2011. Since the storm, Mercy co-workers have provided care in several facilities, including a tent hospital, portable buildings and finally a modular facility. This patient move officially opens Mercy’s new 890,000-square-foot hospital and clinic facility at 100 Mercy Way.</p>
<p>Brandie Stuhlman was the first patient to move. Within the hour, her babies were delivered by C-section. “I was really hoping they would wait to come. I didn’t want to be transferred somewhere else, I wanted to have them at the new hospital if they would just hold out a little longer, and they did!”</p>
<p>The son and daughter of Brandie Stuhlman and Kelton Neale each weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces at birth. Baby boy Merrick was born at 8:09 a.m. and baby girl Isabella was born at 8:10 a.m. Not only are they the first babies to be born at the new Mercy Hospital Joplin, they’re also the first to take advantage of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Designed with the comfort of families in mind, the babies will be in a private room with plenty of space for their parents.<br /><br />
“It was crazy to be the first patient to arrive at the hospital, first Mom to deliver and the first family to be in the NICU.”</p>
<p>In all, Mercy transferred 79 patients from the facility at St. John’s Boulevard. By 11 a.m., they were safely settled into their new, all-private rooms.</p>
<p>“We’re so proud of all of our co-workers who helped make this transition seamless for our patients,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “We’ve been dreaming of this day for four years and planning for the logistics of the move for more than a year. We even did two practice runs recently to ensure everything would go smoothly.”</p>
<p>The new emergency department opened at 6 a.m. Before 10 a.m., providers had already seen 10 patients. “We’re able to offer the same great care – now in this beautiful new facility,” said Dr. Sean Smith, medical director for Emergency Medicine at Mercy Hospital Joplin and Mercy Hospital Carthage. “I’ve been accused of having a permanent grin on my face that won’t come off this morning.”</p>
<p>The new $465 million complex was built in less than half the time expected to complete a construction project of its size. With lessons learned from the 2011 tornado, it is <a href="/newsroom/2015-02-28/mercy-hospital-joplin-built-to-stand-against-nature">hardened against storms</a> including reinforced glass and safe zones on every floor. The hospital features 205 all-private inpatient rooms as well as doctor’s clinic offices. Cancer patients have their own designated entrance and access to the most advanced <a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/technology-packed-hospital-opening-in-joplin">linear accelerator</a> for radiation therapy.</p>
<p>From its temporary facilities to its new permanent home, Mercy’s commitment to the Joplin community and its co-workers totals more than a $1 billion. It included the promise that all <a href="/newsroom/2015-02-27/new-joplin-hospital-brings-co-workers-home">co-workers</a> would remain on the payroll; many have been working in other locations across Mercy’s four states.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">“Today, our message is clear,” said Pulsipher. “Our new doors are open to our community, and we are ready to serve your families. And for our co-workers: we’re so happy to have you come home.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8016796112061px; text-align: center;"><object height="525" width="700"><param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157651501972725%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157651501972725%2F&amp;set_id=72157651501972725&amp;jump_to=" /><param name="movie" value="https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157651501972725%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157651501972725%2F&amp;set_id=72157651501972725&amp;jump_to=" src="https://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=1811922554" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="525" width="700"></embed></object></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 16.8016796112061px; text-align: center;"><strong>Read more about Mercy Hospital Joplin:</strong><br /><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-15/co-workers-journey-to-new-mercy-hospital-joplin" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;" target="_blank">Co-workers Journey to New Mercy Hospital Joplin</a><br /><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-10/community-gets-glimpse-inside-new-mercy-hospital-joplin" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;" target="_blank">Community Gets Glimpse Inside New Mercy Hospital Joplin</a><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/HardenedHospital" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy Hospital Joplin Built to Stand Against Nature</a><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/CoworkerCommitment" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">New Hospital Brings Co-Workers Home</a><br /><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/technology-packed-hospital-opening-in-joplin" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Technology-Packed Hospital Opening in Joplin</a><br /><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/mercy-joplin-tree-planting-project-earns-statewide-award" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;" target="_blank">Joplin Tree-Planting Project Earns Statewide Award</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Mon, 23 Mar 2015 21:34:47 +0000skcox125240 at http://www.mercy.netDistance is no Obstacle for Telehospitalistshttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-18/distance-is-no-obstacle-for-telehospitalists
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/png" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/dr.ariel-lufkin-25182.png" type="image/png; length=92859" title="dr.ariel-lufkin-25182.png">Dr. Ariel Lufkin</a></span></div><div class="field-item odd"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/png" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/advanced-practice-nurse-todd-ramer-25182.png" type="image/png; length=2372473" title="advanced-practice-nurse-todd-ramer-25182.png">Advanced practice nurse Todd Ramer </a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/jeff-raymond">Jeff Raymond</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p><img alt="" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/resize/files/dr.ariel-lufkin-25182-180x270.png" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2; width: 180px; height: 270px; float: right; border-width: 5px; border-style: solid;" width="180" height="270" />When Ena Whitlock was having trouble breathing, her doctor was 30 miles away and the weather was terrible. That didn’t stop him from treating her quickly.</p>
<p>Dr. Ariel Lufkin used Mercy’s telehospitalist technology to visit Whitlock remotely. Lufkin, a Mercy internal medicine physician, sees patients using a special cart that has a rotating camera, screen and seamless access to patients’ medical records. With the help of a highly trained nurse at patients’ bedsides, Lufkin can interact, ask questions, zoom in on problematic areas and even listen to heartbeats through a Bluetooth-enabled stethoscope.</p>
<p>“Just about the full gamut of any diagnostic studies that we would do, I can see here,” Lufkin said.</p>
<p>Mercy currently offers telehospitalists at Mercy Hospital Logan County, in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Mercy Hospital St. Louis, Mercy Hospital Joplin and Mercy St. Francis Hospital in Mountain View, Missouri, with plans to expand to other facilities across Mercy’s four states.</p>
<p>Whitlock’s son, Derrick Avery, was concerned at first that his mother wouldn’t take to the technology. His concerns faded away by her second conversation with Lufkin. He had some concerns as well, but they were even more quickly allayed.</p>
<p>“She quickly got over the robot-like oddity and felt relaxed enough to ask questions and have a normal conversation,” said Avery, whose mother lives in Guthrie, 30 miles from Oklahoma City. “What is even more important, even though distance did divide them, is that the one-on-one relationship still developed along with the comfort and trust that every patient needs to have in their doctor.”<img alt="" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/resize/files/advanced-practice-nurse-todd-ramer-25182-180x215.png" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2; width: 180px; height: 215px; border-width: 5px; border-style: solid; float: right;" width="180" height="215" /></p>
<p>Avery wanted his mother to be seen right away, so taking her out of her community was out of the question.</p>
<p>“When I found out about the telehospitalist program, it took away that apprehension of taking mom to a small-town hospital that may or may not have the specialist she would need to see on staff,” he said.</p>
<p>Mercy is moving forward with telemedicine in other specialties as well. It plans to open the world’s first virtual care center in Chesterfield, Missouri, later this year. It will serve as Mercy’s 24/7 hub for telehealth professionals to reach more patients regardless of age, illness or location -- and employ nearly 300 physicians, nurses, specialists, researchers and support staff. </p>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/MercyTelehospitalist">See the rest of the story here.</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Wed, 18 Mar 2015 15:20:03 +0000jsraymo125182 at http://www.mercy.netCo-workers Journey to New Mercy Hospital Joplinhttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-15/co-workers-journey-to-new-mercy-hospital-joplin
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25167.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=231980">25167.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/angella-saporito-0">Angella Saporito</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
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<p><strong style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 16px; font-size: 12px;">Read more about the new hospital:</strong></p>
<ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-10/community-gets-glimpse-inside-new-mercy-hospital-joplin" target="_blank">Community Gets Glimpse Inside New Mercy Hospital Joplin</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bit.ly/HardenedHospital" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Mercy Hospital Joplin Built to Stand Against Nature</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bit.ly/CoworkerCommitment" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">New Hospital Brings Co-Workers Home</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/new-mercy-hospital-joplin-opening-march-22" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Countdown to Mercy Hospital Joplin's Grand Opening</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/technology-packed-hospital-opening-in-joplin" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Technology-Packed Hospital Opening in Joplin</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/mercy-joplin-tree-planting-project-earns-statewide-award" target="_blank">Joplin Tree-Planting Project Earns Statewide Award</a></li>
</ul><p style="text-align: left;"><a class="twitter-timeline" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MercyJoplin" data-widget-id="573936683160223744">#MercyJoplin Tweets</a>
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<p>It may have been just one day, but Saturday, March 14, marked the culmination of a long journey home for Mercy co-workers in Joplin.</p>
<p>Despite years of turmoil and hardship, a celebration walk merged the old with the new and symbolized the rebirth of Mercy Hospital Joplin to co-workers and the community.</p>
<p>Exactly one week before the new hospital opened its doors, co-workers helped dedicate the St. John’s Mercy Memorial Garden at the new open air chapel at 26th Street and McClelland Boulevard (the old hospital property). Following the ceremony, most co-workers journeyed by foot together to the new hospital site, a 2.75 mile walk.</p>
<p>Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO, along with Sister Mary Roch Rocklage, then led a blessing ceremony at the new facility, followed by a co-worker picnic and tours. Special music was provided by the Mercy singers. A first mass and chapel blessing was<span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;"> simulcast to the cafeteria and conference center.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">“This ceremony signified the transition our co-workers have made with us along the way,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “From the tornado to today, we have been in five different facilities. Everyone has rolled up their sleeves and done the job they’ve been asked to do – even when some were out of the norm of what they had always done. We are finally getting back to normal, a new normal. It’s time to celebrate our resilience.”</span></p>
<p>The new building is nearly 900,000 square feet and will feature physician clinic space as well as a fully operational, high-tech hospital, emergency department and cancer center.</p>
<p>The new facility will officially open at 6 a.m. on Sunday, March 22. Ambulances will transfer patients from the temporary Mercy location to the new facility. The transfers are expected to wrap up by 2 p.m.</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16.7999992370605px;">Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</span></p>
<p> </p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Sun, 15 Mar 2015 14:21:52 +0000bmhalle125167 at http://www.mercy.netMercy Cardiologist’s Work in National Spotlighthttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-13/mercy-cardiologists-work-in-national-spotlight
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25163.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=234289">25163.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/brad-haller">Brad Haller</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
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<p>Dr. Joseph Drozda, director of outcomes research</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/newsroom/2013-05-21/drozda-leads-big-five-and-headlines-major-medical-journals">Dr. Joseph Drozda</a>, Mercy’s director of outcomes research, is once again in the national spotlight for his work on Unique Device Identification (UDI) systems – a cost-cutting and time-saving tracking initiative for implanted medical devices.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">In the article “</span><a href="http://bit.ly/DrozdaWSJ" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Medical Device ID Effort Hits Snag</a><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">,” </span><em style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">The Wall Street Journal</em><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;"> reports on behind-the-scenes conflicts that have delayed the </span><a href="http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/DeviceRegulationandGuidance/UniqueDeviceIdentification/" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">FDA-approved</a><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;"> method to pinpoint device malfunctions. Dr. Drozda, who has overseen Mercy’s launch of a pilot program using scannable bar codes to track cardiac stents, is noted as being a strong proponent of the effort.</span></p>
<p>With a UDI label, important information is readily available, such as product name, expiration date, reference and lot numbers, manufacturer information, bar code, details and an illustration of the item. Ultimately, a UDI helps improve patient safety, identify product problems more quickly and better target recalls.</p>
<p>Dr. Drozda, who has served on the Accredited Standards Committee X12, is also the chair of the Healthcare Transformation Group’s (HTG) Research and Development (R&amp;D) Team – a group of physicians and clinical researchers from Geisinger, Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Mayo Clinic and Mercy who joined forces to <a href="/newsroom/2013-05-21/reducing-medical-errors">develop a global tracking system</a> for implanted medical devices.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, Dr. Drozda’s case study at Mercy was featured in <em>The Brookings Institution</em>’s <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Research/Files/Papers/2014/12/05-medical-device-tracking-system/UDI-Final-12052014.pdf?la=en">UDI Implementation Roadmap</a>. And in 2014, Mercy was among six health care organizations to <a href="/newsroom/2014-02-10/mercy-recognized-as-tech-brainiac-for-innovation">receive an Intelligent Hospital Award</a> during the Healthcare and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference. The award reflected Mercy’s work with Harvard University on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration grant on UDIs.</p>
<p>“With 8,000 new medical devices flooding the market each year, it’s critical that we find ways to track them so we can ensure better patient safety,” said Dr. Drozda.</p>
<p>Read More:<br /><a href="/newsroom/2014-08-08/mercy-spotlighted-by-one-of-worlds-largest-charitable-foundations" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy Spotlighted by one of World’s Largest Charitable Foundations</a><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/MercyBig5" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Drozda Leads Big Five and Headlines Major Medical Journals</a><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/UDIaward" style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy Recognized as Tech Brainiac for Innovation</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Fri, 13 Mar 2015 15:13:08 +0000bmhalle125163 at http://www.mercy.netCommunity Gets Glimpse Inside New Mercy Hospital Joplinhttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-10/community-gets-glimpse-inside-new-mercy-hospital-joplin
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25108.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=216154">25108.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/angella-saporito-0">Angella Saporito</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
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<p><strong style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; line-height: 16px; font-size: 12px;">Read more about the new hospital:</strong></p>
<ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bit.ly/HardenedHospital" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Mercy Hospital Joplin Built to Stand Against Nature</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://bit.ly/CoworkerCommitment" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">New Hospital Brings Co-Workers Home</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/new-mercy-hospital-joplin-opening-march-22" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Countdown to Mercy Hospital Joplin's Grand Opening</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/technology-packed-hospital-opening-in-joplin" style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 12px">Technology-Packed Hospital Opening in Joplin</a></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><a href="/newsroom/2015-03-05/mercy-joplin-tree-planting-project-earns-statewide-award" target="_blank">Joplin Tree-Planting Project Earns Statewide Award</a></li>
</ul><p style="text-align: left;"><a class="twitter-timeline" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MercyJoplin" data-widget-id="573936683160223744">#MercyJoplin Tweets</a>
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<p>As Mercy prepares to open its new campus, it seems fitting that the public was invited to be part of the celebration. Thousands of people turned out for a public open house March 7 at <span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">the new Mercy Hospital Joplin, 100 Mercy Way. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">The campus replaces the former St. John’s Regional Medical Center, destroyed in Joplin’s May 2011 tornado.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">“It was hard to say goodbye to the building that was home to St. John’s since 1968,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Joplin. “But like the rest of the city, we are glad to be moving ahead and looking to the future. While we will never forget what happened there, we’ve had amazing support throughout the rebuilding process. The new hospital and clinics mean so much for the city’s recovery, as well as for our patients and co-workers.</span></p>
<p>After an opening prayer, Lynn Britton, president and CEO of Mercy, helped kick off the March 7 ceremony.</p>
<p>"I can't help but think back to another morning, almost four years ago," Britton recalled. "I stood at another podium, with another microphone, and promised our co-workers their jobs were secure, and promised our community we would rebuild their hospital. It gives me great joy today to report we kept our promise."</p>
<p>Britton says Mercy needed the advocacy and support of Governor Jay Nixon and <span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Shivan Subramamiam of FM Global, who came in person to promise the resources required. "We needed the innovation of McCarthy, John Farnen and their teams to build structures impervious to another storm," he said. "And we were blessed by the outpouring of time, talent and treasure from so many, including the United Arab Emirates. Their pledge of $5 million only a few days after the storm inspired an entire campaign of giving. Led by an amazing steering committee, the campaign helped raise $15 million </span><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">from donors around the world."</span></p>
<p>"The Sisters of Mercy are very proud of what has taken place here," Sister Mary Roch Rocklage added, as she introduced Gov. Nixon. The governor spoke about Mercy's dedication to the community, adding that Mercy's decision to rebuild sent a strong message to Joplin that it was not being abandoned.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">“We’ve anticipated this day for years,” Pulsipher added. “The open house was our opportunity to celebrate another milestone with all of those who have cheered us on this journey.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Following a hospital blessing, public tours of the nearly 900,000 square-foot building were offered through the afternoon. The facility </span><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">features physician clinic space as well as a full-service, acute care hospital, emergency department and cancer center.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</span></p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:08:46 +0000bmhalle125108 at http://www.mercy.netTechnology-Packed Hospital Opening in Joplinhttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-05/technology-packed-hospital-opening-in-joplin
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25118.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=1129498">25118.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/brad-haller">Brad Haller</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
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<p>The Elekta Versa HD allows doctors at Mercy to use 3D <span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-SIZE: 11px">imaging </span></p>
<p><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; FONT-SIZE: 11px">and fusion technology with CT scans, MRI imaging and PET scans.</span></p>
<p><img style="LINE-HEIGHT: 1.2; WIDTH: 350px; HEIGHT: 234px; FONT-SIZE: 11px" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/resize/vendor-resources/13991479527_4813e40741_z-350x234.jpg" width="350" height="234" /></p>
<p>Linda Hill, a critical care nurse, virtually monitors patients</p>
<p>from Mercy SafeWatch, the nation's largest single-hub</p>
<p>electronic intensive care unit in St. Louis, Missouri.</p>
<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11px"><img style="WIDTH: 350px; HEIGHT: 426px; FONT-SIZE: 11px" alt="" src="/sites/default/files/resize/vendor-resources/7-350x426.jpg" width="350" height="426" /></p>
<p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 14px; FONT-STYLE: normal; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 11px">Dr. J. Dustin Rosenhamer, on-call telestroke neurologist.</p></div>
<p>When Janis Baustert arrived at Mercy Hospital, she entered a new era in health care. With a stroke threatening to cripple the 60-year-old, within minutes she and her husband were video conferencing with a neurologist 300 miles away while he studied her electronic medical records. “Everything’s going so fast I’m thinking, ‘Good grief, how did they get all this done?’” husband Stephen recalled.</p>
<p>The Mercy telestroke program that helped Janis Baustert is one example of the technology that has earned Mercy a national reputation as a cutting-edge health system. Now Mercy is reinforcing that reputation with a technology-packed facility in Joplin.</p>
<p>A silver lining to the tragic 2011 tornado that devastated the community, the new Mercy Hospital Joplin will open March 22 as a symbol of Joplin’s recovery, much as the ruins of St. John’s Regional Medical Center became an iconic image of its devastation. The modern facility will be a showcase for Mercy’s rapidly expanding use of technology to deliver caring and efficient health care to patients across its four-state area.</p>
<p>“Joplin has had to pick itself up from a horrific disaster,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “Now the community is rebuilding to emerge stronger – and we are proud to say – with a new hospital unlike any in the region.”</p>
<p>Mercy’s new facility will introduce features that were unavailable to its old Joplin building, including all private rooms, a wing dedicated to pediatrics and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for the region’s tiniest patients. Planners included new windows and walls to protect against future storms, and arranged floor plans with operating rooms next to the emergency department and physicians’ offices near their hospitalized patients’ rooms.</p>
<p>At the center of Mercy’s digital advances is the extensive use of electronic health records across the system’s four-state network. They already proved their value in ensuring consistent care after the tornado destroyed the old St. John’s, which implemented the electronic records system just weeks before the storm. Instead of blowing away like paper records would have, the electronic records remained safely stored in a secure data center some 100 miles away and were immediately available after the tornado.</p>
<p>That same electronic health record system allowed a remote specialist to quickly diagnose Janis Baustert’s stroke in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He decided on a course of treatment that enabled Baustert to recover with no major complications. Similarly, Christine Kaiser was diagnosed by a distant neurologist while she was a patient at Mercy’s hospital in Watonga, Oklahoma.</p>
<p>The telestroke physician reviewed Kaiser’s electronic records and determined she had suffered a transient ischemic attack, also known as a ministroke, and she was admitted for overnight treatment. Without the telestroke program, she might have been airlifted to a hospital hundreds of miles away, leaving her to worry about loved ones she helped care for.</p>
<p>“It would have been a nightmare and a hardship for us,” Kaiser said.</p>
<p>Mercy is a national leader in remote delivery of health care services and monitoring patients using high-speed data and video connections. It began as a response to the shortage of doctors and specialists available in many of the rural areas Mercy serves. These advances in telemedicine are now at the fingertips of Mercy’s doctors in Joplin.</p>
<p>“Our early experience has enabled us to expand our use of new technologies for the benefit of patients,” said Randy Moore, president of Mercy Virtual, which is pioneering a new model of care using the power and potential of telemedicine.</p>
<p>Patients themselves have access to a web-based program called MyMercy. It enables them to see their lab results, schedule a traditional doctor’s appointment, and even schedule an e-visit with their doctor for minor conditions.</p>
<p>“Whether inpatient, outpatient or even in-home monitoring, Mercy can now provide care from anyplace to anywhere,” Pulsipher said.</p>
<p>This summer, Mercy Virtual will open the world’s first freestanding virtual care center near St. Louis. Called a “hospital without patients,” it will serve as a hub for Mercy physicians, nurses and technicians across Mercy’s four states working around the clock to help diagnose, treat and monitor patients anywhere.</p>
<p>While Mercy in Joplin has participated in several of the telemedicine programs, the new hospital will include:</p>
<p><strong>Mercy SafeWatch </strong>– Mercy’s tele-ICU monitors about 500 beds in 15 hospitals across five states. More than 40 board-certified critical care physicians and 60 critical care nurses help monitor remote patients, reducing length of stay, mortality, ventilator-associated pneumonia and central blood line infections.</p>
<p><strong>Telesepsis</strong> – Mercy developed innovative technology to help monitor patients at risk for bacterial infections that can lead to life-threatening, whole-body inflammation called sepsis. Telesepsis helped reduce by half the number of deaths from severe infections at Mercy Hospital St. Louis and shortened the average stay in intensive care by more than two days.</p>
<p><strong>Telestroke </strong>– Patients rushed to an emergency room anywhere in a network of nearly 30 hospitals can get rapid, specialized care from neurologists. Time is crucial as the clot-busting drug proves most effective the sooner it is given.</p>
<p><strong>eAcute </strong>– The newest of Mercy’s telemedicine services, eAcute extends the sort of monitoring that is typical for intensive care beds to general medical and surgical floors. Registered nurses are able to sit at a single workstation to monitor data generated by faraway patients. Ten Joplin beds are already being wired with eAcute sensors and video links that will help reduce patient complications, discomfort and associated costs.</p>
<p>Mercy Hospital Joplin will also see the latest equipment installed throughout the facility, including:</p>
<p><strong>Precise cancer treatments</strong> – The most advanced linear accelerator in the region will apply customized, high-energy radiation to shrink and kill cancerous tumors. The result is effective treatment of a broad range of cancers in short sessions. Treatments that might take 10 minutes elsewhere can be completed in a few minutes. “Patients will get better results while spending less time on the table,” said Whit Sanders, radiation oncology director at Mercy Hospital Joplin.</p>
<p><strong>Quicker lab results </strong>– A highly automated lab will help speed the processing of tests that physicians order as part of patient care. Systems that move specimen bottles along a conveyor belt to an automated diagnostic process will also benefit from added verification tests, meaning faster and more accurate results. The new lab can serve patients inside and outside Mercy who want faster, more accurate test results, said Eric Eoloff, president of Mercy Labs. “Mercy Joplin will become a hub lab for the entire region. It’s another way the hospital will be a resource for Joplin and surrounding areas.”</p>
<p>Whether it’s the convenience of MyMercy or the life-saving potential of advanced cancer treatments and virtual care, the new Mercy Hospital Joplin is wired like never before. That technological power will combine with the skill and compassion of Mercy co-workers to offer unprecedented health care to the region when the doors open to patients on March 22, 2015. </p>
<p>Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. which servers millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Thu, 05 Mar 2015 17:34:57 +0000bmhalle125118 at http://www.mercy.netWall Street Journal Features Life-Saving Telestroke Consulthttp://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-03-03/wall-street-journal-features-life-saving-telestroke-consult
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/25113.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=1028323">25113.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/nancy-corbett">Nancy Corbett</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right">
<p><img alt="" itemprop="image" src="/sites/default/files/resize/files/25113-350x246.jpg" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2; width: 350px; height: 246px;" width="350" height="246" /></p>
<p>Martin and Carol Duffner of Festus, Missouri</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/resize/vendor-resources/7-350x426.jpg" style="width: 350px; height: 426px;" width="350" height="426" /></p>
<p>Dr. J. Dustin Rosenhamer, Mercy neurologist in Oklahoma City</p>
</div>
<p><em>By Mercy's John Winkelman </em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Martin Duffner doesn’t remember any of the details, but his story is so significant that it caught the attention of the <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>.</span></p>
<p>The 75-year-old from Festus, Missouri, was checking the tire pressure on his vehicle when he became dizzy and started having double vision. Fortunately, his wife Carol went looking for him in the garage at about the same time and helped him to his favorite living room chair.</p>
<p>“I said, ‘Marty if you don’t answer me, I’m calling 911,' " Carol Duffner recalled. Paramedics from the Joachim-Plattin Ambulance District arrived and found him unresponsive, so they rushed him to Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City where he was immediately given a CT scan.</p>
<p>Through Mercy’s virtual telestroke network, Dr. J. Dustin Rosenhamer, a neurologist at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City, evaluated Martin Duffner, checked the CT scan, reviewed his medical history through the electronic medical record, and ordered tPA, the clot-busting drug for stroke patients.</p>
<p>The tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is most effective when given within three hours of the stroke onset, or up to 4.5 hours for some patients. Because of the fast action of his wife, the ambulance crew, emergency room, and the secure access to the stroke specialist in Oklahoma, Martin received the drug about an hour and 6 minutes from the first sign of stroke.</p>
<p>He was flown by helicopter to Mercy Hospital St. Louis for additional evaluation, where an angiogram showed his arteries open. The tPA had done its job.</p>
<p>“I woke up and they asked me if I knew where I was. I knew I was in a hospital, but I didn’t know which one,” Martin said.</p>
<p>His breathing tube was removed and he was able to raise his arms and legs on request.</p>
<p>“At first I had trouble lifting my left leg, but about the third try, I just told myself, ‘I’m going to do it,’” he said. After a night in the ICU and one in a medical patient room at Mercy in St. Louis, the rehab staff asked him to prove his steadiness by walking around the hospital floor. Just two days after a stroke that left him unconscious, he was headed home.</p>
<p>“The only after effect is that I get a little emotional when I think about it or talk about it,” Martin said.</p>
<p>Read <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>'s article "A Fast Track to Treatment for Stroke Patients" by <a href="http://webreprints.djreprints.com/3581430514337.pdf">clicking here</a>.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Tue, 03 Mar 2015 21:07:37 +0000bmhalle125113 at http://www.mercy.netMercy Hospital Joplin Built to Stand Against Nature http://www.mercy.net/newsroom/2015-02-28/mercy-hospital-joplin-built-to-stand-against-nature
<div class="field field-name-field-story-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/mercy-top-news">Mercy Top News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-files field-type-file field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Files:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="file"><img class="file-icon" alt="" title="image/jpeg" src="/modules/file/icons/image-x-generic.png" /> <a href="http://www.mercy.net/sites/default/files/files/11094.jpg" type="image/jpeg; length=318253">11094.jpg</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-story-media-contact field-type-node-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Media Contact:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/newsroom/brad-haller">Brad Haller</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" itemprop="description" ><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="caption right"><object height="300" width="400"><param name="flashvars" value="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157633230312972%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157633230312972%2F&amp;set_id=72157633230312972&amp;jump_to=" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="offsite=true&amp;lang=en-us&amp;page_show_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157633230312972%2Fshow%2F&amp;page_show_back_url=%2Fphotos%2Fmercyhealth%2Fsets%2F72157633230312972%2F&amp;set_id=72157633230312972&amp;jump_to=" height="300" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/slideshow/show.swf?v=124984" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"></embed></object>
<p>Construction techniques allow the new Mercy Hospital Joplin</p>
<p>to withstand <span style="font-size: 11.9011898040771px; line-height: 1.2;">high </span><span style="font-size: 11.9011898040771px; line-height: 1.2;">winds and tornadoes. </span></p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NQWwCKX7Wxw" width="420"></iframe></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-size: 11.9011898040771px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 14.2814273834229px;">Video demonstration shows the strength of the windows at the new facility.</p>
</div>
<p>On time and under budget, the doors are nearly open at the new Mercy Hospital Joplin. Inside and out, the 900,000-square-foot facility makes good on Mercy’s bold promise to the community to replace the tornado-ravaged St. John’s Regional Medical Center with a stronger, state-of-the-art hospital.</p>
<p>“The new building is opening just 46 months after the tornado hit Joplin, which is approximately half the time you would normally anticipate to plan, design and construct a similarly sized hospital,” said Ryan Felton, project director for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.</p>
<p>The community is invited to a public open house on March 7 for the new $465 million Mercy Hospital Joplin. The building is part of a $1 billion Mercy commitment. Tours will be provided for the nine-story hospital patient tower and five-story clinic office. Features include a unique neonatal intensive care unit, the most advanced linear accelerator for cancer treatment, a cutting edge emergency department and unprecedented “storm hardened” safety features.</p>
<p>“Having windows that can withstand a storm is a huge deal,” said Gary Pulsipher, president of Mercy Hospital Joplin. “Winds like the ones we experienced in the May 2011 tornado caused major damage and once inside the building, they tore things apart and sent debris flying. There was no question we needed to prevent that going forward.”</p>
<p>That’s why the structure incorporates a window and frame system that can protect its most vulnerable patients from winds up to 250 miles per hour. Mercy also added a concrete roof, fortified “safe zones” on every floor and half-buried generators away from the main building. Those are the most obvious of many innovations conceived to protect occupants, the hospital and its life-saving services in the event of another disaster.</p>
<p>“That was a historic storm that taught us many lessons,” said John Farnen, executive director of strategic projects for Mercy who oversaw the building’s construction. Engineers and architects with McCarthy and HKS Architects studied the aftermath, looking where Mercy could best apply its unique experience.<br /><br />
Strengthened windows have been added to other Mercy buildings during construction, including an orthopedic hospital in Springfield, Missouri, and a rehabilitation hospital in Oklahoma City. Mercy’s new hospitals will get the strongest windows where needed, utilities will be better protected from storms and changes will come to existing facilities, as well, such as new laminate films that will harden glass against storms.<br /><br />
“Because of our goals and requirements in Joplin, we worked closely with our window supplier to invent a new window glazing system that’s like no other,” said Terry Bader, Mercy’s vice president of planning, design and construction.<br /><br />
Mercy saw firsthand how strengthened windows survived the 2011 storm. Windows in the behavioral health unit of the old hospital, where strengthened glass had been installed prior to the storm, were intact. “Seeing how those windows survived helped get us thinking about windows in the new hospital and elsewhere,” said Pulsipher.<br /><br />
The new hospital has three types of windows. Lobbies and other public areas, where able-bodied visitors can move to safer areas, have windows with a rating for 110 mph winds, stronger than the typical 90 mph rating for commercial buildings. Mercy added a film of plastic laminate to prevent the glass from shattering. The hospital's new emergency department rooms, as well as the hallways connecting the hospital and clinic tower, have laminated glass that’s designed to withstand winds of 140 mph.</p>
<p>The strongest windows are installed in both intensive care units. Testing was conducted in a Minnesota warehouse, where technicians shot the glass with 15-pound, 2x4 wooden missiles at 100 mph, which is how fast debris is typically flying in a 250 mph tornado.<br /><br />
The devastation of the 2011 tornado spurred about $11 million in upgrades specifically designed to harden the new hospital against natural disasters. The advances will protect patients, visitors and co-workers from future storms, and they will ensure that Mercy Hospital Joplin will remain the “last light on” and a source of life-saving services. Upgrades include:<br /><br /><strong>Reinforced refuges</strong> – Each floor has a special hallway with reinforced walls and ceilings, where tiles and lights are secured as if in an earthquake zone. Instead of standard interior doors, heavy storm barriers can be closed to secure the safe zones. Rods in the door hardware penetrate into the cement above to hold against intense gusts. All passenger elevators reach the basement where widened corridors can safely hold co-workers and patients.<br /><br /><strong>Protected power</strong> – The 2011 tornado cut utilities and even managed to disable the old hospital’s emergency generators. A storm-hardened building is buried across the campus, and critical utilities travel to the new hospital through a 450-foot reinforced tunnel. Local companies provide two lines each of power, water and data communications coming from different directions. The utilities plant also houses generators, and nearby diesel tanks were buried to protect them from storms.<br /><br />
Hallways and stairwells have battery-operated lights that will automatically kick on. Critical life-support systems, such as ventilators and newborn bassinets, have their own battery backup. Some will operate as long as two hours, providing time to move the most vulnerable patients.<br /><br /><strong>Emergency grab bag</strong> – Crucial supplies will be strategically stashed throughout the new hospital. They include flashlights, batteries and first aid kits, as well as tools needed amid destruction, such as gloves, crowbars and even snow shovels, which would have been helpful to clear passageways clogged with rain-soaked debris.<br /><br /><strong>Hardened shell</strong> – A precast concrete exterior provides a shell tougher than the brick, metal or plastered walls of most commercial buildings. A poured concrete roof holds tight in a gale, unlike the metal decking that blew off the old hospital. A penthouse that holds mechanical units is protected by heavy walls of hurricane-strength boards.<br /><br />
“Mercy applied unheard of standards to areas of the hospital where people can’t quickly escape, protecting even our frailest patients who depend on life-sustaining equipment,” Pulsipher said. “It’s part of understanding the unique role of a hospital – what it is, what it does and who it serves.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14.0013999938965px; line-height: 1.2;">Mercy is the fifth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves millions annually. Mercy includes 35 acute care hospitals, four heart hospitals, two children’s hospitals, three rehab hospitals and two orthopedic hospitals, nearly 700 clinic and outpatient facilities, 40,000 co-workers and more than 2,000 Mercy Clinic physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.</span></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-show-ems-sitewide field-type-list-boolean field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Show EMS Sitewide:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Yes!</div></div></div>Sat, 28 Feb 2015 15:22:06 +0000bmhalle111094 at http://www.mercy.net